Bottom margin spacer for typewriters



Sept. 25, 1928. l f 1,685,314

R. M. DAvls BOTTOM MARGIN SPACER FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

Sept. 25, 1596-28.

R. M. DAVIS BOTTOM MARGI SPACER FOR TYPEWRITERS 5 shees-sheetv 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1927 A TTORNE Y.

Sept. 25, 1928.

R. M. DAVIS BOTTOM MARGIN SPACER FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 25, 1928'.

UNITED STATES RICHARD M. .DAVIS, OF WEST PITTSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTOM MARGIN SPACER FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Application led August 19, 1.927. Serial No. 214,008.

My invention relates to typewriters and particularly to bottom margin spacers for typewriters.

rThe object ofmy invention is to provide in a typewriter improved means which may be set by the operator to give an alarm and stop the machine when the printing has reached a predetermined distance from the bottom of the page. A further object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned which may be built l, into the typewriting machine or made as an attachment to be arranged upon machine now in use..

A further object. ofv my invention is to provide a device as mentioned which will auto- Other objects will shaft, a gear mounted 80 apertures,

for locking said platen when the typewritmatically reset itself when released upon the completion of thepage, and which may be quickly brought into operation as soon asa fresh page is positioned in the machine appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists generally in the platen and platen shaft of a typewriting machine, in combination with a pinion mounted on the platen upon a slide bar and adapted, when the bar is in one position, to mesh with said pinion, said gear being provided with a plurality of apertures, a trip adapted to be selectively mounted in said and means actuated by said trip ing has reached a predetermined distance from the bottomof the page. My invention lfurther consists in a device as mentioned in which the slide bar extends toward the front of the carriage and is provided at its forward end with means readily engaged by the fingers to facilitate moving the bar, and a setscrew adjacent theforward end of the bar adapted to be operated by the thumb and forefngerwof the hand moving the bar, for locking the bar with the gear meshing with the pinion. My invention further consists in a platen and platen shaft of a typewriting machine in combination with. the pinion and a notched wheel fixed to the platen shaft, a slide, a ygear mounted on the 'slide and adapted in one positionl of the slide to mesh with said pinion, adog pivotally mounted adjacent said notched ,wheel and equipped with means for normallyA holding the same in retracted position, a trip adapted to be selectively positioned on said gear and adapted to engage said dog and move the same into engagement with said notched and means for re- Vof a spring being fixed to a pin 15 turning the pinion vinto initial position when the slidebar is moved to disengage the gear from said pinion. My invention further consists in a device as mentioned in combination with an alarm adapted to be actuated prior to the actuation of the locking-means. My invention further consists in various details of construction and .arrangements of parts all as will be fully described hereinafter and parti ularly pointed out in the claims. Y

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompaying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bottom margin spacing mechanism embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

broken away, illustrating the device in position to -lock the platen,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the slide,

Fig. 5-is a detail view illustrating means for attaching the devicev to a completed typewriter,

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the side opposite that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and

Fig. 7 is a detail section on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the platen of a typewriting machine, 2 the platen shaft and 3 the usual knob on the end of the shaft for turning the platen by hand when'desired. 4 is the main frame plate upon which the mechanism is mounted, and which is perforated as at 5 to receive the platen shaft. Mounted upon the main frame plate 4 is a slide bar' 6 provided with pair of guide slots 7 and 8; the platen shaft 5 extending through the slot 7, and a ide .and lock screw 9 extending through the slot 8 and threaded into the frame plate 4. The forward end of the bar 6 is turned outwardly forming a lug which the bar may be readily moved.

A main gear 11 is rotatably mounted on a stud shaft 12 fixed lto the side bar 6. The gear 11 is provided with a hub 13 to which is secured one end of a spring 14, the other end mounted on a lug 16 on the plate 4. The tendency of the spring 14 is to turn the gear 11 in a clockwise direction; and to limit the movement of the gear due to the spring 14, the hub is provided with a finger 17 which en- 1() by means of Fixed to the platen shaft is a pinion 19 with which the gear 11 from the adj a- Iixed to the platen shaft is a notc-hedmember 20 adapted to be engaged by a detent 21 on a dog 22 to lock the platen against further movement whenv the dog is actuated in a manner hereinafter described. The doof 22 is pivotally mounted on a stud shaft 23 fixed to the plate 4 and is normally held in retraeted position bya spring 24.

When the gear 11 is in mesh with the pinion 19, it is obvious that as the platen is moved to feed the paper through the typewriting machine, the gear 11 will be moved in an anticloekwise direction, and means 25 to receive a.. pin

apertures 25 are provided with indicia indi gagement with the bellby a spring 4vend of which is secured toan arm clapper and the other end fixed in any suitare provided on the gear for actuating the `log 22 to lock the platen when the writing has reached a predetermined distance from the bottom of the page. To this end, I provide the gear 11 with a series of apertures 26. The various eating the margin to be left at the bottom of the sheet; that is, with the numerals 1, 11/2, 2, 21/2, etc., indicating a corresponding number of inches. As the gear l11 rotates the pin moves therewith and contacts with the dog 22, forcing the detent 21 thereon into engagement with the notched wheel 20, locking the platen` against further movement. In practice, I prefer to thicken. the gear 11 as indicated'at 27 and to tap the apertures 25 to receive a threaded root portion 28 of the pin 26. The pin is provided with a knurled ead 29 to facilitate inserting and removing the same. When the last line on the page has been ty ed and the machine locked as beforedescribed, the bar 6 is released by the thumb screw 9 and pushed rearwardly. This disengages the gear 11 from the pinion 19 whereupon the spring 14 immediv ately returns the gear to initial position.

en a new sheet inserted the bar 6 is drawn forward by means of the lug 110,

v meshing the gear with the pinion 19, and the bar locked in position by the thumb screw 9. This operation can be readily and quickly done with the fingers and thumb of one hand.

It is preferable toprovide the device with a suitable alarm to notify the o crater before the last line is reached and t le machine locked. To this end, I provide a bell 30, which maybe mounted on the platen shaft as indicated, and provide a clapper 3l for the same. The clapper is mounted upon a stud shaft 32 and is normally held in en- 33, one 34 on the able manner,as4 at ,1.1, to the main frame 4.

Pivotally mounted on the clapper 31, as at,

is adapted to mesh when the bar 6 is in forward position. Also,`

36, is a lever 37, having a lug 39 on the clapper and with an arm 40 pro]ecting into the path of the pin 26. A spring 41 between the lever 37 and the arm 34 holds the lever in normal position with the detent 38 in engagement with the lug 39. With this construction, 26 engages and actuates the dog 22 it-will en-\ gage the arm of the lever 37, thereby raising the clapper. Further movement will disengage the -pin from the arm 40 and permit the clapper to drop into contact with the bell, to sound the alarm. lThe next movea detent 38 engaging I before the pin I engagement with the dog 22, and cause the same to l'ock theI platen 'against furtherniovement. IVhen the gear 11 is again released and returns to initial will swing the arm 40 rearwardly, thereby passingthe arm without raising the clapper and sounding the alarm.- 7

My invention is not only adapted to be built into typewriters,- but may be Amade as an attachment to be applied'to any completed typewriter. To this end, the construction is identical with that above described, with the exception that the main frame plate 4 is provided with one ormore brackets 42 for securing the attachment te the side frame 43 of the typewriter carriage. These brackets may differ in form and position for thedifferent makes of machines to .which it is to be applied, and may be secured into position by a setscrew 44. It is obvious` that the attaching and securing means may be varied to suit the machine to which the device is to be applied. When necessary the platen shaft 2 may be replaced by a similar but longer shaft, Also, the shape of the main frame plate- 4 may bevaried to suit the particular machine with which Oit is to be used. The operation of thedeviee will be clear from the above description.

I claim:

1. In a typewriter, the platen and platen shaft, in combination with a pinion on ysaid shaft, a shiftable member, a gear mounted on said shiftable member and adapted, when the said member is shifted to be moved into and out/of mesh with said. pinion, a stop adapted to be selectively mounted on said gear, a notched member on the platen shaft, and a pivotally mounted dog adapted'to be moved b said lstop into engagement with said note led member to lock the platen, substantially as described.

2. In a typewriter, the platen'and platen shaft, in combination with a pinionon said shaft, a silde bar, a gear mounted on said slide bar and adapted, when the bar is shifted to bemoved intoand out of mesh. with said pinion, a stop adapted tobe selectively mounted on :said gear, a notched member on the platen shaft, and a pivotally mounted dog adapted to be position, the pin f moved by said stop into engagement with said notched member, to lock the platen,

4substantially as described.'

3. In a typewriter, a frame plate, platen,

and plate shaft, in combination with a pinion on sai platen shaft, aslide bar, a gear mounted on said slide bar, and adapted upon movement of said bar to be brought into and out of mesh with said pinion, a stop adapted to be selectively positioned upon said gear, a

notched member on said platen shaft, a dog lpivotally mounted on said plate adjacent said notched member and adapted to be forced. by said stop into engagement with said notched mem er, substantially as described.

` extending through another of said slots to lock the bar in forward or retracted position, the end of said bar adjacent said thumb screw being provided with a manipulating lug, a pinion on the platen shaft, a gear mounted on'said slide bar and adapted to mesh with said pinion when the bar is in forward position, co-operating stop members on said gear and said bar, a spring tending to normally hold said stop members in engage ment, an adjustable stop adapted to be selectively mounted on said gear, a notched member carried by said platen shaft, and a dog pivotally mounted adjacent said notched member and adapted to be moved into engagement therewith by the last said stop, substantially as described.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, in com-l bination with a bell, a clapper pivotally mounted on said plate, an arm pivotally mounted on said clapper and extending into the path of the adjustable stop and adapted to be engaged by the latter to sound an alarm prior to the engagement of said .stop lwith said dog, said p ivoted arm permitting the return of the gear and stop to initial position without sounding the alarm, substantially as described.

7. A. bottom margin spacer attachment for typewriters, comprising a frame plate and slide bar thereon, the latter being provided with a longitudinally disposed slot to receive the platen shaft, a pinion and notched member adapted to be lixed to the platen shaft, a gear carried by said slide bar and adapted in one position of the bar to mesh with said pinion, an adjustablestop adapted to be selectively positioned on said gear, a dog pivotally mounted on said frame plate and adapted tov be moved by said stop into engagement with said notched member, and means for attaching said frame plate to the side plate of a typewriter carriage, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.`

RICHARD M. DAVIS. 

